Summary of the previous chapter: After solving the misunderstanding with Huang Zhenyi, Ma Xiaoquan was slightly relieved. However, what Ma Xiaoquan did not expect was that in this short period of time, Huang Zhenyi had already fallen into the arms of Cao Cao.
The lustful Cao Cao certainly lived up to his reputation...
In May of the 19th year of Emperor Xian's reign of the Han Dynasty, news of Ma Chao's attack finally reached Cao Cao's ears.
Along with the news of Ma Chao's attack, there was also the news of Ma Chao's defeat by Xia Houyuan.
The main reason for such centralized transmission of news was that Cao Cao and Xia Houyuan were too far apart, and it was also the result of Xia Houyuan's decision to kill first and report later. Of course, Cao Cao didn't care much about this matter. After all, Xia Houyuan also guarded the western region for him, and as the saying goes, there is no doubt in hiring people.
No matter what, Xia Houyuan has always been loyal and loyal since he followed Cao Cao in the crusade against Dong Zhuo. He has never complained, and Cao Cao has no reason to doubt his cousin.
Half a month later, another military report came from Chang'an, saying that after General Xiahou defeated Ma Chao, he wanted to continue the conquest and strive to destroy Han Sui's forces. However, due to the abruptness of the last time, Xiahou Yuan was trying to kill his lord first.
In Cao Cao's letter, he admitted his mistake and at the same time asked his lord for strategic arrangements and affirmation on the matter of conquering Han Sui.
After receiving the news, Cao Cao immediately held an emergency meeting, quickly made strategic arrangements, and conveyed his strategic intentions on the next day.
Xia Houyuan received the letter from his lord, read it carefully, and was impressed by his lord Cao Cao's extraordinary strategy... Then based on Cao Cao's strategic intentions and the current actual situation, he began an intensive deployment...
...
At the same time, a small storm also broke out in the Majia Courtyard in Yecheng.
After the head of the family, Ma Xiaoquan, came back from his last meeting with Cao Cao, he immediately conducted a thorough investigation of everyone and everything in the family.
Ma Xiao made detailed inquiries about every family member, servant, and even the chickens and ducks raised at home.
In terms of economics, Ma Xiaoquan completely tried out the "one-in-one" policy and ordered his wife Hua Yuexin. His apprentice Mao Gang took out all the account books, and Ma Xiaoquan began to check them one by one.
This double move made everyone in the family panic. Of course... in fact, only a few people were panicked.
For example, Mao Gang.
Mao Gang never expected that his master Ma Xiaoquan, who had never managed family affairs, seemed to have changed after returning from Cao Cao's house. His attitude towards not only himself but also everyone in the family became much more serious.
Mao Gang lived in the Ma family compound and secretly took away a lot of treasures from Ma Xiaoquan. In order to cover up others' eyes, Mao Gang moved these treasures to Yuyang early.
Ma Xiaoquan also has a big house in Yuyang, which is much larger than the current Ma family compound in Yecheng. Ma Xiaoquan's original intention was to move his family to Yuyang after returning to Yecheng, but because Lu Xian was not
Due to the existence of stabilizing factors, Ma Xiaoquan temporarily shelved this idea.
Mao Gang was very smart and knew that the most dangerous place was also the safest place. Since the master would not move for the time being, he hurriedly transported all the treasures he had collected to Yuyang Mansion.
Ma Xiaoquan really doesn’t know all this...
Because Ma Xiaoquan was not in Yuyang, he could not find out the fishy things from the accounts, but... Ma Xiaoquan didn't know that there was a person... who happened to go to Yuyang...
Yuyang County, Ma family mansion.
A not-so-strong young man squatted on a low wall of the mansion, carefully observing the layout of the mansion. Ever since he came here, he had fallen in love with it.
My father once said that one day the whole family would move here. Thinking about it now, my father's decision was a wise one.
The young man exhaled and jumped down from the low wall. There was a small piece of grass under the low wall. Although it had not been mowed, it was growing well.
The young man put his hands on the back of his head as a pillow, lay on the grass, looked at the blue sky, and murmured: "It's been a long time since I came out..."
Just as he finished sighing, there was a sound of the door lock opening at the door.
The young man climbed up alertly, and then quickly jumped into a dry well not far away.
The dry well was not deep, about 8 feet or more. The young man estimated that it would be easy for him to climb up from such a distance. Moreover, he had been carrying a rope and hook with him during the past two years.
Just as the young man jumped into the dry well, the door of the mansion was opened.
"Move quickly"
A burst of trivial footsteps sounded, accompanied by the occasional sound of metal colliding.
"Take it easy. What the hell is going on with you? Master has ordered us to be gentle!"
...
When the young man heard the voice above, his eyes narrowed slightly.
In his impression, this mansion belonged to his own family. Furthermore, the "owner" mentioned by those on the dry well made the young man feel a little strange.
"No, I have to go take a look..." the young man said to himself.
As soon as he finished speaking, a deep man's voice suddenly came from the dry well: "There is someone"
Kujingoue immediately remembered the sound of drawing a sword.
The young man was startled and quickly pressed his body against the inner wall of the dry well, then held his breath.
The structure of the dry well is gourd-shaped, with a mouth and a big belly. The young man pressed his body close to the inner wall of the dry well. Looking down from above, he could not see anything on the inner wall.
At this time, several pairs of eyes came to the mouth of the dry well and looked down. Then, two fire sticks were thrown down from above.
The young man's heart suddenly became tense.
Although from the angle, the boy was very confident that he would not be discovered, but if someone jumped down from above to search, he might be discovered.
The young man swallowed gently. At this moment, he had been holding his breath for a while.
At this moment, a thinner male voice suddenly came from the well: "Where is there anyone... You spent the whole night with the young lady in Zuichunlou last night and didn't sleep, okay?
"
"Fuck you! Since when have I been up all night?"
"Okay, stop talking and get down to business. The master has ordered that you cannot stay here for a long time. It would be bad if Cao Cao's people don't know about it."
...
After burning the incense, there was no movement outside the well.
The young man did not jump out of the dry well at the first time. He concluded that those people just might be playing tricks. If he went out and those people were ambushing him, wouldn't he become a turtle in the urn?
The young man's judgment was very accurate. After another incense burning time, a voice came from Inoue: "Damn, there is really no one. It seems that I really didn't sleep well yesterday, huh."
"Look, look, let me tell you, you didn't sleep well, let's go, let's go."
...
Late at night, the young man climbed out of the dry well quietly. Looking around quickly, the young man quickly hid in a shadow.
"Can't Cao Cao know?" The young man whispered to himself, "Does my father have any secrets that I don't want Cao Cao to know?"
With doubts in his stomach, the young man quietly got into a side room.
Since no one has lived in the mansion yet, although the decorations are basically in place, it is not popular and it always feels very desolate.
The young man tiptoed to the end of the side room, stretched out his hands and touched it carefully.
After touching it a few times, the side door was suddenly opened.
The young man was startled, and quickly stepped back on tiptoes, retreating into a shadow in the side room.
The boy who opened the door couldn't see clearly, but through the not-so-bright moonlight, he could see that he was tall.
The young man was very nervous, but at this moment he was desperate. As long as the tall figure lit the fire and took a few steps, he would be exposed.
Sure enough, the tall figure took out the fire stick and was about to light it, but at this moment, a deep male voice suddenly sounded outside the door.
"Niushan, what are you doing here?"
The tall figure let out a cry and quickly put out the fire that had just sparked.
"Hehe... Mr. Ding, hehe..."
"Let me ask you, what are you doing here?"
"Mr. Ding, I...I'm a little tired..."
"Tired? What did the master say? Leave immediately after finishing. Why do you want to sleep here?"
"No, no, no, Mr. Ding, how dare I?"
"Okay, it's not advisable to stay here for a long time. Cao Cao's left-behind troops will come to inspect every two days. I'm afraid they will have to come during the day tomorrow. Pack up and leave immediately."
"yes!"
...
There was a "bang" sound, and the door was closed from the outside.
The young man's body softened the moment the door closed, and it took a long time for him to regain his strength.
"Mr. Ding?" The young man frowned slightly, "Why does his voice sound so like Uncle Dingyi?"
The more I thought about it, the more strange it felt, and the more I thought about it, the more something was wrong. Finally, the young man decided to stay here for a few days to conduct a thorough investigation...
A few days later, when the young man entered the side room again, he had figured out many secrets.
"Mao Gang... Anbu... Ding Yi..." the young man muttered softly, "So you did such a treasonous thing behind your father's back...